Activity center and portable activity case formed therefrom

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to an activity center comprising a flexible sheet having a plurality of activity sections. Each section comprises at least one means of temporarily securing an activity, and various types are described. Also, a portable activity case, formed by folding or otherwise collapsing, the activity center of the present invention is also disclosed.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/900,454, filed Feb. 9, 2007.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an activity center and to an activity case formed from the activity center.

2. Description of the Related Art

When traveling with children, parents often find it difficult to bring along suitable toys and activities that will keep their children entertained. Various types of portable activity cases have been developed, but these often only contain a single activity that is either attached to or imprinted onto its surface. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,269,276; 2,479,203; and 2,667,353 describe mats that can be folded or rolled into smaller forms and contain a single activity, such as a chess board or a checkerboard. If a different activity is desired, a different mat is needed. Other devices, such as collapsible play mats, provide a soft surface for a child to play on. Examples include the mats described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,370,460 as well as those shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,088,139; 5,035,013; 5,970,541; 6,408,463; and 7,018,267. However, such mats are typically large and bulky, and, while some may provide methods for storing or carrying activities such as toys, these are removed from the mat so that the child can play with them on the mat. Also, when folded for carrying, the play mats do not provide a convenient place to store or transport other toys. Thus, a foldable play mat would not be considered a portable activity case, capable of holding and organizing various activities.

As a result, parents typically resort to using tote bags, utility bags, or other devices for carrying their children's toys and games. These provide the desired carrying space, but they often become overloaded and cluttered. Also, conventional tote bags do not provide a safe place in which toys and activities can played with. Items must be removed from the bag in order to be used.

Therefore, there is a need to provide an activity center that can hold or secure a wide variety of different activities and games in place for use and that can be also be conveniently folded into a smaller, portable, self-contained activity case to safely store and transport the activities.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an activity center comprising a flexible sheet having two opposing surfaces. At least one surface of the sheet comprises a plurality of activity sections, each having at least one means for temporarily securing an activity to the activity section. Various embodiments of these means are described. The activity center may be folded into a portable activity case, and the present invention further relates to such a portable activity case.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are intended to provide further explanation of the present invention, as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 shows an example of the activity center of the present invention.

FIG. 2-4 show an example of the portable activity case of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an activity center and a portable activity case for carrying various activities and games.

The activity center of the present invention comprises a flexible sheet having two opposing surfaces (i.e., a front and a back surface), wherein at least one of the surfaces comprises a plurality of activity sections, described in more detail below. The flexible sheet may have any desired shape, including, for example, circular, oval, or polyhedral, such as rectangular, square, or hexagonal. Preferably, the sheet is square or rectangular. The sheet may be prepared using any material known in the art, but is preferably a soft fabric that is both durable and easy to clean, such as fleece, nylon, polyester, or cotton. The sheet may also be a microfibrous material, such as polynylon, or a polyester-nylon blend.

The size of the flexible sheet can be varied depending on the number of activity centers and the desired size upon folding into a portable form. For example, when the flexible sheet is square or rectangular, the area of the sheet may be between about 1 square foot and about 64 square feet, preferably between about 2 square feet and about 36 square feet, and more preferably between about 4 square feet and about 16 square feet. Furthermore, the sheet may have at least one side having a length of between about 0.5 feet and about 8 feet, preferably between about 1 foot and about 4 feet. As a particular example, the flexible sheet may be in the shape of a 2 foot by 2 foot square.

The flexible sheet has two opposing surfaces, and each surface may be the same or different. Also, the sheet may be one layer of material or multiple layers of the same or different materials. For example, the flexible sheet may be a single layer of a colored material with each surface being the same. Also, this single layer of material may have an image or design imprinted or stitched into one surface. Thus, the flexible sheet may comprise a single layer of material having the same or different opposing surfaces. Also, two layers of materials may be used, resulting in a flexible sheet having different opposing surfaces (if the two materials differ) or the same opposing surfaces (if the two materials are the same).

At least one of the surfaces of the flexible sheet comprises a plurality of activity sections, which is a section of the surface of the sheet used to temporarily secure an activity that can be used to keep a child occupied or engaged during, for example, a long trip. Examples of activities include, but are not limited to, magnetic boards with replaceable magnetic figures (such as maps, letters, seasonal scenes, and the like), white boards with erasable markers, writing paper, drawing paper, stencils, books, coloring books, puzzles (including small jigsaw puzzles, crosswords, mazes, games (such as chess, checkers, and the like, as well as conventional traveling games, such as the alphabet game, bumper stickers, etc.), tangrams, scrapbooking materials, and various craft items.

The activity sections can have any size and shape, depending on the number of sections and the size and shape of the flexible sheet. For example, a rectangular flexible sheet having sides of 2 feet and 4 feet may have 8, 1 foot by 1 foot square activity sections or may have 4, 1 foot by 2 feet rectangular activity sections. Preferably, the activity sections each have the same size and shape and also have the same shape as the flexible sheet. For example, if the flexible sheet is 4 feet by 4 feet square, this can comprise 16 activity sections that are 1 foot by 1 foot square or 4 activity sections that are 2 feet by 2 feet square. Also, for a 2 foot by 2 foot square flexible sheet, there may be 4 activity sections that are each 1 foot by 1 foot square or 8 activity sections each being 0.5 foot by 0.5 foot square. Other combinations of size and number of activity sections are also possible.

Thus, the number of activity sections can also vary depending on their size and shape as well as the size and shape of the flexible sheet. Preferably, the flexible sheet comprises from 2 to 10 activity sections, including from 4 to 8 activity sections. This would accommodate a convenient number of activities for a child to play with for a typical length of time.

Each activity section has at least one means of temporarily securing an activity in place. In this way, an activity chosen for a child can be attached or adhered safely and securely to an activity section of the activity center of the present invention so that it can be removed or can be replaced with a different activity. For example, when going on a long trip, several activities may be temporarily secured to the activity center and removed during the trip to be used by the child or played with while attached. Once the trip is over, the activities may be easily removed for storage elsewhere and/or replaced with a different activity for a later trip.

Any known method or design may be used to temporarily secure an activity to the activity sections including, for example, elastic straps. Thus, the activity sections may comprise at least one, preferably two to four, elastic straps having two ends, wherein each end is attached to the activity section. The strap lies tight along the surface of the activity section. Using this design, an activity can be slid or placed under the elastic straps, thereby holding them in place on the activity center. As a particular example, for rectangular or square activity sections, elastic straps may be placed either parallel to opposite edges of a section or parallel to each edge of the section. Alternatively, these straps may be placed diagonally across each corner of a section, with the ends of the straps attached near or at the edges of the activity sections. With straps thus placed in each corner, larger activities, particularly those that are square or rectangular and of a similar size as the activity section, can be readily secured and temporarily held in place.

As another example, at least one adhesive strip can be attached to the activity section. This strip may be used to stick or adhere a chosen activity to the activity section, which can then be later removed. Any material comprising an adhesive or adherable section may be used, including tacky materials or materials such as Velcro. In addition, two separate components may be used to adhere the activity to the activity center, wherein one component is a strip attached to the activity section and the second component is attached to the back of the activity or portion of the activity. When combined, the two components adhere two each other, thereby securing the activity in place. The strips may be placed anywhere within the activity section, including parallel to any edge. Also, multiple strips may be used.

As another example, at least one pocket or removable pouch may be attached to the activity section. In this way, items of irregular shape and size can be readily stored and secured to the activity center. For example, a pocket attached to the activity section can be used to temporarily secure game pieces of a game, such as chess or checkers. A removable pouch provides the additional benefit that items placed in the pouch can be removed from the activity center while still stored in the pouch. This can be used, for example, for colored pencils and crayons which can remain in the pouch for use but still keeping each item safely stored without loosing any of them.

The pocket or removable pouch may be prepared from a variety of different materials, including those described above relating to the flexible sheet. In addition, the pocket or pouch may be prepared from a transparent or semi-transparent material, which would allow the user to readily determine if all of the stored items are present. Furthermore, when the activity center comprises two flexible sheets attached to each other, a pocket may be formed between these two sheets, such as by stitching within an activity section.

As described above, the activity center comprises a plurality of activity sections. Each of these sections may be the same, each comprising the same means for securing an activity. However, while the same means may be used, different activities can be secured to each section. In order to secure an even wider variety of activities, it is also possible and, in some instances preferable, that at least two of the activity sections differ and use different means for securing an activity. As an example, each activity section can use a different means or combination of means for securing an activity.

A specific example of an activity center of the present invention is shown in FIG. 1, which also demonstrates several specific means for securing activities, including some discussed in more detail above. In FIG. 1, an activity center is shown comprising a flexible sheet 1 having four activity sections, 10, 11, 12, and 13. Each activity section is different and comprises different means or combination of means for temporarily securing an activity. For activity section 10, two elastic straps, 2 and 3, are used to secure a white board with attached erasable marker. For activity section 11, a pocket 4 is used to secure drawing paper and colored pencils. For activity section 12, a game board is temporarily secured with an adhesive strip that adheres to the back of the board (not shown) and the game pieces are contained in a transparent removable pouch 5. Finally, activity section 13 comprises four elastic straps 6, 7, 8, and 9 are diagonally attached across the corners of the activity section and are used to secure a clip board and paper. Other activities may also be secured using this same activity center.

The activity center of the present invention may further comprise various devices to enable easy carrying, particularly when folded, as described in more detail below. For example, the activity center may further comprise at least one handle attached to an outer edge of the flexible sheet. Multiple handles may also be used, and these may be placed along the edges such that, when folded, the handles overlap and can be combined to form a single handle. Furthermore, one end of at least one strap may be attached to an edge of the flexible sheet, and the other end of the strap can be configured to attach to either an attachment site on the flexible sheet, such as on a different edge or corner, or to an attachment site on another strap. Any material comprising an adhesive or adherable section, such as Velcro, can be use. In this way, when the activity center is folded or otherwise collapsed into a smaller size, the strap or straps can be used to help keep the edges of the folded center closed. Also, a zipper may be attached to at least a portion of the outer perimeter of the flexible sheet, which can be used to close the activity center, further securing the activities inside.

Thus, the activity center of the present invention can be further folded or collapsed into a smaller size and/or shape, thereby forming a portable activity case, and, therefore, the present invention further relates to a portable activity case formed from the activity center described above. FIG. 2, FIG. 3, and FIG. 4 show a method of forming a portable activity case of the present invention. Thus, FIG. 2 shows an activity center of the present invention comprising a flexible sheet divided into four activity sections A, B, C, and D, and two handles, 21 and 22. The activity center may be folded, for example, by lifting edge bd over until it meets with edge ac, thus folding the center in half. This is shown in FIG. 3. Folded in this way, the back sides of activity sections B and D, would be seen, and these are shown as B′ and D′. The once-folded activity center shown in FIG. 3 can then be further folded in half again, by bringing handles, 21 and 22 together, and the resulting portable activity case 24 is shown in FIG. 4. As can be seen, when handles 21 and 22 are placed as shown in FIG. 2, a single handle, 23, forms for the portable activity case 24. In addition, when folded as described, the back of activity section C, shown as C′, would be on top. Of course, the activity center shown in FIG. 2 can also be folded in a variety of other ways, resulting in a portable activity case of the present invention having either a different shape of size than that shown in FIG. 4.

The foregoing description of preferred embodiments of the present invention has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings, or may be acquired from practice of the invention. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain the principles of the invention and its practical application to enable one skilled in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto, and their equivalents. 

1. An activity center comprising a flexible sheet having two opposing surfaces, wherein at least one surface of the flexible sheet comprises a plurality of activity sections each having at least one means of temporarily securing an activity to the activity section.
 2. The activity center of claim 1, wherein the means of temporarily securing the activity to the activity section comprises at least one of the following: i) at least one elastic strap having two ends, wherein each end is attached to the activity section, ii) at least one pocket attached to the activity section, iii) at least one removable pouch attached to the activity section, or iv) at least one adhesive strip attached to the activity section.
 3. The activity center of claim 1, wherein the activity section comprises a plurality of corners and edges, and wherein the means of temporarily securing the activity to the activity section comprises an elastic strap attached to two adjacent edges and diagonally across each corner.
 4. The activity center of claim 3, wherein the activity section is rectangular or square.
 5. The activity center of claim 1, wherein the surface of the flexible sheet comprises two to ten activity sections.
 6. The activity center of claim 5, wherein the surface of the flexible sheet comprises four to eight activity sections.
 7. The activity center of claim 1, wherein the flexible sheet comprises two layers of fabric fixedly attached to each other.
 8. The activity center of claim 7, wherein the means of temporarily securing an activity to the activity section comprises a pocket between the layers of fabric.
 9. The activity center of claim 1, wherein the flexible sheet comprises a plurality of corners and edges forming an outer perimeter and further comprises at least one of the following: i) at least one handle attached to at least one corner or edge, ii) a zipper attached to the outer perimeter, or
 10. The activity center of claim 1, wherein at least two of the activity sections are different.
 11. The activity center of claim 1, wherein each activity section is different.
 12. A portable activity case formed from an activity center comprising a flexible sheet having two opposing surfaces, wherein at least one surface of the flexible sheet comprises a plurality of activity sections each having at least one means of temporarily securing an activity to the activity section.
 13. The portable activity case of claim 12, wherein the activity section comprises a plurality of edges and corners, and wherein the portable activity case is formed by folding the flexible sheet along the edges of the activity section.
 14. The portable activity case of claim 12, wherein the flexible sheet comprises a plurality of corners and edges forming an outer perimeter and further comprises at least one of the following: i) at least one handle attached to at least one corner or edge, ii) a zipper attached to the outer perimeter, or iii) at least one strap having two ends, wherein one end is attached the edge of the flexible sheet and wherein the other end is configured to attach to an attachment site on a different edge or corner of the flexible sheet; and wherein the portable activity case formed by folding the flexible sheet is closed using i), ii), or iii). 